[ASLML] Rockets Red Glare AAR

[Sam Belcher]

Here's a brief AAR of the game Dan Owsen and I played at Bulgefest. (For
those of you not from Seattle, we get together every year around the second
week of December for a "Bulgefest" and play Bulge scenarios.) 

The Scenario: Rockets Red Glare - G6 - Published in the GENERAL volume 24
Number 6. The Germans have a 105 ART, a StuG III, and a Wirblewind (ooh,
quad 20), 7 squads, and three leaders (including one 9-2). The Americans get
12 squads (747's), four leaders (including and 10-2 AND 9-2!!!), and a 90L
Tank Destroyer (M36B1 GMC). The Amis also have 4 PFs and FOUR bazookas
(including two Baz 45's). The Americans can setup on the board edge (in
buildings S1, T1, U1 and / or V1), or enter on turn one in hexes 3Y1 and/or
3I1. ROAR shows this as very balanced after more than 200 reported games.

Well, actually, I do have my setup saved in VASL format. So I'll describe it
here in some detail. I'll also post the VASL setup on my website if you want
to download it. (http://dicetower.com) Looking at this setup now, I realize
that I didn't use the exact setup - perhaps I should have. (more on that
later). The victory conditions state that the Amis win IMMEDIATELY when they
control either Q7 or O10. 

I had a couple of squads in building L4 to lay fire on the I1 entry hex
(VASL shows this LOS is clear, but it is definitely blocked on the board we
played on...) A couple of squads with the 9-2 and both the HMG and MMG in
R5. Another squad with a  PSK in Q6 and the Wirblewind in Q6 with VCA toward
P7 and TCA toward R4. (SSR says no vehicle may setup IN a building - not
that the Wirblewind could since it's open topped.) The 105 was HIP in P8 and
the StuG was in R8. Both of these pointed toward S7... A squad or two in U8
and a squad in W8. I SHOULD have put the squad from W8 into Y6 instead (as
is shown on my setup). It would have kept Dan honest on his turn of entry. 

Dan setup some of his squads on board to keep me from bore sighting and
entered the rest (along with the M36 - which cannot setup on board) at Y1.
Because I had no one guarding that flank, Dan raced around the hill and had
squads clear across the board (X8, X9) by turn 2. Dan's squads surged across
the street and into the S3 building and T3 IIRC. 

The rest of the game was pretty much a brutal slug fest with me getting die
rolls when I needed them. I was sweating on turn two or three, but I managed
to break / kill large number of Amis and Dan never really managed to bring
his firepower to bear. 

It's the first time I've played this scenario and I would do it again. But
it's also the first time I've heard of the Wirblewind surviving till the end
of the game! (I really expected him to get nailed with all those SCW out
there.) 

If you have this scenario, I recommend you play it. :)